Falling to Pieces
by xXxNaru-LovexXx
Summary: The sequel to 'Sunken' is finally out! When Mai has a happy surprise to tell Naru and the gang, they also have a secret to share with her. How will things turn out? Will Majin return for blood? Rated T for romance, sexual references, violence and mature themes.
1. How Wonderful!

**ALRIGHT! Starting a new fanfic is one of the best feelings in the world (if not posting the first chapter of it…) and I really wanted to do something like this. The time period is 4 years after Sunken, so keep in mind that you should read the entire thing of THAT story before you jump into this one so that it makes sense, but... anyway – Special thanks to Naruisawesome for the SPECTACULAR ideas (and for PMing me for your review on 'Stay Safe.') and I hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter 1: How Wonderful!

Mai's brown eyes blinked slowly open. Rolling over to her left in the queen-sized bed she lay in, Mai eyed her husband, an elbow propping her head up from the pillow. The blue-haired man was already up, a wide smile on his face.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Mai whispered, smiling.

"And good morning to you too, Mrs. Davis. Why are you up now? Are we making breakfast this early in the morning?"

"Huhn.." Mai sat up, and looked over at the clock. It read 8:04 AM. "Maybe."

"Really, then. Are you making it or am I?" Naru asked politely.

"We'll both do it." She smiled.

Naru sat up with his wife, strolling over to the open door that lead to the hallway. Mai, standing up, felt vomit rise in her throat.

"Where are you going?" Naru asked as she sprinted down the hall and into the bathroom.

"Just give me a minute!" The muffled voice echoed from behind the closed door. Strange gurgling and choking sounds came from the other room.

Naru winced in disgust. It'd been a long time since he had heard anyone vomit. After all, a genius such as him knew how to take care of himself. His wife, on the other hand, apparently did not. All Naru heard from the bathroom was the sound of something flying into water and Mai choking slightly.

She walked out of the bathroom minutes later, stumbling slightly.

"Are you cleaned out?" Naru asked, an edge of humour to his tone.

"Yeah, and I'm hungrier too." Mai joked. The couple walked slowly to the kitchen. Naru set the table for two as Mai looked for the pancake mix. The young woman hummed to herself while mixing the batter with water and eggs, then grabbing a frying pan and oil.

Naru leaned against the counter beside her, still wearing his striped pyjamas.

He blinked at the girl, noticing something he had never seen before.

She wore a set of pyjamas as well.

Mai never wore pyjamas unless she tried to hide something about her body. At least after they got married, anyway. When Mai was sixteen (the year they met) she wore them all the time. Now she only wears nightgowns or shirts.

Mai stopped humming and the frying pan's sizzling sound ended. She used a spatula to flip the pancakes out of the pan and onto two plates. She handed one to Naru, who sat down at the dining room table, waiting for his wife.

She sat beside him and ate silently. Every once in a while Mai would clear her throat anxiously, looking down below the plate and at the table as if lost in thought. Occasionally, she would bite her lip slightly.

"Something on your mind?" Naru asked her finally.

The woman's gaze drifted up to Naru as if she were in some kind of trance. She blinked a few times, and shook her head. "Oh – yeah. No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She responded, looking slightly exasperated.

"Absolutely?" Naru needed to make sure that she wasn't fibbing.

"Positive." The woman answered. Naru finally gave up. There was no point in asking her if she wouldn't give up any answers. Besides – she would only lie to him if it weren't important…

…Right?

Mai finished her pancakes before Naru did and got up to wash her plate. The woman tucked her shirt down over her midsection and back before getting up, something she rarely did.

Naru found himself puzzled. _Maybe she's worried about exposing herself… But from whom? The only other person here is me. I'm her husband, too. She wouldn't be afraid of exposing anything in front of me. _

_Why is she acting so strange..? _

But the woman continued to scrub her plate until the last morsels of her breakfast had vanished off of the porcelain without noticing that her husband had been watching.

_**(7:00 PM)**_

Mai sat on the toilet seat, feeling terrible. She had just vomited - again. That was three times in the last two and a half hours.

She had just came back from spending the day out with Ayako, whom she had met on the street while leaving the hospital.

And, obviously, she had to have given Naru an explanation.

Naru paced outside the doorway. He stopped, a pale hand on the frame. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine now. I don't feel as bad now as I did a few seconds ago…" She replied, unamused with the brown mess that she flushed when Naru walked in.

"There. Done with." Naru cocked a brow. "Do I need to take you to the hospital or something?"

"No. That isn't a bad idea though. I might have some kind of flu or something." She paused, but noticed Naru's worried facial expression. "Don't worry. I'll take myself."

He sighed, clearly feeling protective of his wife."Alright, but don't take too long. If you do, you'd better have an explanation." The man smiled, wrapping his arms around his wife and pulling her in for a kiss.

"Okay then. I'll be back soon!" The woman rushed outside to the car and drove to the doctor's office, the front door closing quietly behind her.

Naru looked over to where she just left from. He let out a long sigh. _Why does she have to get sick at this time? I have another case offer and I don't think she'll want to miss it… but what does she have? It could be more than a flu…_

…_It could be a disease... _

Naru shook his head in confusion at his own thoughts. Walking to the bedroom, he sat on the bed, a hand running through his bluish hair. _Even though she's just making a short trip, I can't help but feel worried about her… _

He sat by his lonesome for what seemed to be hours on end when a car door slammed audibly from outside the house.

Naru scurried outside, eager to hear what had happened and why Mai was so sick.

The woman clambered out of the car, biting her lip to the point where she could've drawn blood, but smiling all the while. She walked slowly up to the front door of the house, her face looking a pained and overly happy mask.

She opened the door, pushing Naru inside for privacy from their neighbours. She seemed to be on the edge of screaming for more reasons than one.

Mai grabbed Naru by the wrist, dragging him to the bedroom. She sat down on their queen-sized bed, inviting him to sit with her.

Mai gave Naru a second to sit down beside her before flinging her arms around him in an attempt to hug him in happiness.

"Mai, you're squeezing the daylights out of me." The man laughed. Mai let loose her grip on him slightly, trembling, almost failing to contain her joy. "Just tell me what you need to say."

Mai looked up at Naru again, not breaking eye contact. "Oh…okay…Th-this isn't easy to say, Naru…"

"It's okay, Mai. You're terrible at keeping secrets anyway. Tell me – you don't need to worry about anything."

The woman opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it briskly. She unraveled her arms from around Naru's neck and shoulders to place one over her stomach.

"I'm pregnant."

Naru looked at Mai, bewildered at whether she was telling the truth or not. "Are you positive?"

"Yes. Absolutely." She smiled radiantly.

Naru placed his left hand over hers, the other over her shoulder. "…That's wonderful…" He smiled.

**First chapter of the sequel is DONNNEEE! Happy to have this chapter so soon (but only because I had already started before Sunken was finished.) and I think you guys are too! The next chapter should be up by Tuesday, if I'm lucky enough.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	2. Surprise!

**I got two reviews (from before I started writing this) on the last chapter and I am very glad that a lot of you enjoyed that! Special thanks to TheAllMightyDragonOfTheNorth (GOD that's a mouthful XD) and Naruisawesome for your great reviews, and I'll see you all soon!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Surprise!

Naru intertwined his hands with Mai's, joy flooding over all thoughts. "We-we're going to have a baby…" He smiled, almost lost for words.

"Yes. Nine weeks so far." Mai smiled up at him, tears of joy burning behind her eyelids. "I can't wait…" She laughed, looking down at the place where their child was growing, placing a gentle hand over it.

Naru stood up slowly, walking to the kitchen to brew tea. Now ,at least, he had time to think by himself. _So it wasn't that she was trying to hide her body, she was just trying to hide from me, thinking that she might show if she was pregnant… and the vomiting was morning sickness. Well, at least she's not sick or disease-ridden. _

_Wow… I'm going to be a father…_

…_I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER..._

Naru sighed inwardly. _I just hope I'll be a good one._

Naru stirred teabags inside two cups, placing them on saucers and walking back to the bedroom. He was excited to get into bed – where Mai was sitting in her white nightgown, reading a book.

"Hey Mai. What are you reading?" Naru asked quietly, closing the curtains to change into his pyjamas.

"It's a parenting book. You know, teaching people how to raise children." She responded, taking a cup of tea from Naru's hand and setting it down on the end table.

"Why do you need that? I thought you already knew so much about raising a child." Naru sipped his tea.

"Yes, I do, but this can teach me so much more than what I already know." Mai answered softly. Naru turned off the light, climbing into bed. He wrapped his arms around Mai. She put the book away and succumbed to Naru's embrace, letting him pull her closer to his chest. They stayed silent for a while.

"Naru..?" She broke the minute-long silence.

"Yes?"

"Do you think…that I would make a good mother?" Mai couldn't keep the edge of sadness and fear from creeping up her throat and into her voice.

"Why would you ask that, Mai? You're going to be great." Naru took a pale finger and curled it in one of the locks of brown hair that hung over her face.

"What about you? Aren't you worried?" Mai questioned.

"Well, yes. Not very much, though. Anyone would be able to tell that I'm going to be worse off than you. I've never even _held_ a baby, let alone raised one on my own. However…" He unraveled the finger that was in her hair and used the same one to trace her cheekbones. "I have you. That's why I'm not worried." He smiled.

Mai took his hand from her face and wrapped her hands in both of his. She blinked up into his face, seeing how happy he was. "You're really excited about this, aren't you?"

"Do I look sad to you?" He smiled once more, this time seemingly happier.

Mai rolled over in her bed, closing her eyes. She didn't want to harm the baby and sleep on her stomach, so she slept on her side for most of the night.

In a few minutes, the only sound that occupied the room was the slow and steady breathing of the two who lay in the bed.

Mai opened her eyes to a familiar black space, open, with blue, pink and white orbs floating lazily around. She looked out into the distance for exactly who she wanted to see, and exactly who she _did_ see.

Gene walked up to Mai, pulling her into a gentle hug. "Hey, Mai! How are you?"

"Great, actually. I have something to tell you."

"Really? What is it?" Gene paused for a moment. "Actually…now that I think about it, something about you _does_ seem different…"

Mai smiled, feeling amused that Gene didn't know and that she could tell someone the good news. "I'm pregnant!"

Gene's face went from quizzical to shocked happiness. "Mai, that's great! How…far along are you?"

"Nine weeks." Mai put her hands on her hips and looked down. She closed her eyes for a second or two. When she opened them, she saw a pale hand outstretched in front of her, pressing lightly on her womb. Mai looked up again at Gene, who simply smiled at his hand and murmured to himself. "I'm going to be an uncle…"

_Even though he is my brother-in-law, I still can't help but feel weird when he touches me like that. I wonder if everyone I tell the news to is going to do this…_ Mai thought, a small scowl forming on her face at the last note to herself. She looked back down at where's Gene's hand was and pulled it off of her. "Anyway, I better get up. Maybe Naru's already beat me to it. But I don't know how I'm going to tell the rest…"

Gene looked down into her face. "Just give it straight to them. If they're happy for you, they'll let you know." He smiled radiantly and left into the nothingness.

Mai watched him leave, feeling renewed strength and determination to tell her friends.

_At least they,_ she thought, _will be happy for me._

Mai shot up, sitting in bed. She sat for a moment, feeling bile rise up her throat at the action, and sank back down under the covers again, eyes closed.

A wet cloth lowered slowly on her forehead. Mai opened her eyes and found Naru placing the cloth on her.

"Just stay there. You need to rest a little more." His voice echoed in the small room, blue eyes shining.

"Oh…okay." Mai muttered. She closed her eyes again and sank further into the pillow, attempting to sleep again. Naru left the room, closing the door quietly behind himself.

A few knocks resounded from the front door. Naru walked across the room and opened it.

"Hey, Naru!" Monk spoke rather loudly, as usual. Ayako walked in from behind him, passing the two and sitting on the couch in the livingroom.

_(From inside the bedroom, Mai rolled over in the bed, covering her face with Naru's pillow.)_

"What are you two doing in my house?" Naru questioned.

"We just wanted to visit, see how things are going." Ayako's voice came from the livingroom, which was where Monk was heading to. He sat down beside Ayako.

Naru sighed. "Well, at least keep it down, or Mai will have your head on a silver platter."

Monk's head elevated slightly at the sentence. "Why would she?" He turned his gaze on Naru.

Naru kept quiet for a moment. His eyes lowered to the floorboards, wanting to have Mai tell them the good news rather than himself. But, it seemed like Naru had to-

"Ohhh, she's sick, isn't she? Sorry. I remembered that she wasn't feeling very good last week on our case." Monk's voice went quieter.

Naru didn't expect this answer. However, it did make a nice substitute because it actually was true. Monk and Ayako looked around the room, noticing how much parts of it looked like the office. The only thing different was that the couches weren't leather, but velvet, and the kitchen actually _was_ a kitchen, not like the puny thing at SPR.

"So…I take it that she's sleeping right now?" Ayako broke the silence.

"Yes. She woke up for a moment, but she almost vomited on the bed so she laid back down again."

"Alright then. We should go now. See you at the office! What time do you want us there?"

"Around 1:30." Naru responded weakly.

"Alright!" Monk took hold of Ayako's hand and left the house.

Naru sank down into the couch cushions, rushing a pale hand briskly through his hair. _What a narrow miss that was… I could've had Mai disturbed from her sleep. And that would not be a good thing…_

"Naruuuuu..!" Mai's voice whined from behind the bedroom door.

_Oh god. They woke her up._

Naru walked into the bedroom very quietly. He sat down on the bed beside Mai, a hand resting on the mattress beside his wife, who lay on her back. She sat up when Naru asked her what was wrong.

"I'm hungry." Was all she answered.

Naru blinked slowly. He sighed and pulled Mai hesitantly out of bed. "Alright then. What do you want to eat?"

"Chocolate strawberries and… honeycombs."

"Where the _hell_ am I going to get honeycombs?"

"I don't know. Use your _im-a-gi-na-tion!_ Mai pronounced every syllable.

"Oh, fine. I'll be back." Naru rolled his eyes and tried to leave, but Mai pulled playfully on his wrist and tugged him beside her.

_Damn, pregnant women are powerful!_

Naru fell in place on the bed beside her and she kissed him from his neck up to his forehead. Naru laughed all the while and did the same to her, slower this time.

She pushed him off the bed and ushered him out of the room, standing now. She waved bye to him and sat out on the couch where Naru, Monk and Ayako were earlier that day.

About half an hour later, Naru came in the door, looking exasperated. "I looked all over town for your honeycombs. _All over town._ And guess what? I FOUND SOME. I ACTUALLY FOUND HONEYCOMBS." He laughed, pulling a bag of strawberries and a fondue set out of one bag, and honeycombs and chocolate out of another.

"Ooh, are we _making_ chocolate strawberries?" Mai asked excitedly.

"Yes. And guess who's eating the rest of the chocolate after the strawberries are done?"

"…Me?" Mai asked.

"Oh yes. Or I can cover myself in it and you can eat it that way. Pick your choice." Naru lowered his voice slightly to make it sound more seductive.

"I think I'll choose the first option for the time being…" Mai laughed loudly. She pulled a pink pillow off the couch she just stood from and hit him in the face with it.

"You! Get BACK here!" Naru chased her with a white pillow clamped in hand. They ran after each other, brandishing pillows at one another each time they crossed eachothers' paths.

Time had flown by when Naru and Mai had made their fondue. The sweet scent of chocolate swirled around in the air of the house, the two who had made it dipping strawberries inside and eating them. Every so often, Mai would take a bite of a honeycomb, or dip it in the chocolate.

"Well, that was absolutely delicious." Mai said.

Soon enough, it was 1:24, so Naru and Mai decided to head down to office.

They pulled up in the driveway, noticing that Lin was already there. The man stood on the balcony by the door, waving at the two who just came by. As Naru walked on the front step, Ayako's car pulled in and out filed Monk and herself. Masako, Yasu and John followed minutes later in their respective vehicles.

The rest of the irregulars stumbled upon the doorstep of the office, greeted by everyone else there. SPR sat where they normally did, Mai on the ottoman, Naru in his chair, Yasu, Masako and John on the couch and Monk and Ayako on the chairs. Lin sat at the desk behind the livingroom area, typing away on his laptop. This seating arrangement had been the same way for 4 years.

Mai moved from her space on the ottoman to sit on the arm of the chair where Naru was, sliding down accidentally and landing in his lap. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. (Masako balled her hands into fists and looked away in fury.) Ayako tried to slide closer to Houshou, but he stood quickly and jumped on her first.

"AUGH!" She shouted, swatting at him with an open hand. Then her expression went from angry to playful when she jumped on him. They both ended up brawling over who would sit on who.

"I'm the woman!" Ayako spat.

"But I'M probably _lighter!_" Monk protested humourously.

Naru rolled his eyes and cleared his throat, noticing that Mai had curled up on him, covering her head with her arms to avoid getting a headache.

The two sat back in their chairs, looking apologetic for disturbing Mai.

"Sorry, Mai. We forgot that you were sick. And – because you are – why are you at work today?" Ayako questioned, going in full-on 'Doctor Mode,' as Mai had labeled it.

"I'm not sick, that's why." Her voice muffled by her arms.

John interrupted the hubbub. "Wait – I thought you were. Are you better now, or..?"

"Yes, I'm better, more than that, actually. I just need a chance to say something without getting interrupted by their…" Mai pointed over to Monk and Ayako. "…Crap."

The room went awfully quiet for a moment or two. Lin broke the silence.

"I know what's going on."

"How?" Mai asked.

"Naru told me." The Chinese man smiled brilliantly. At his words, Mai smiled slightly, regaining confidence. _I think I have the words to say, but… With my luck, I'm probably going to screw up somehow, so…_

_Here goes…_

"I'm better, I promise. But…I still have one problem. Well, not a _problem_, really, but…" Mai stumbled through her sentence, trying to figure out how she could say it without screwing up too badly.

"Just tell us! Don't beat around the bush!" Ayako exclaimed.

Mai sighed. "Okay…"

She looked up at Naru for courage and guidance. He gave her a look that said 'It's okay, just do it.' He smiled and cocked his head over to the others, as if telling her to come out with it.

"Oh, alright. Guys, I'm pregnant." She looked at the others, who seemed to think it was a joke – that is until she threw her hands into the air and shouted, "…Surprise..?!" Mai smiled unsurely, one corner of her mouth twisted up, the other curving into a frown-like figure.

Everyone looked at Mai.

_Everyone._

A loud bang; confetti burst from the ceiling light, flying in all directions. SPR nearly jumped out of their clothes at the sudden sound – even Mai.

The only people that didn't move were Lin and Naru.

"Sorry about that." He got up from his position at the computer to stand by Mai and Naru. "I set that up because Naru told me to. He phoned me last night with the good news and I just had to."

He grabbed a broom and swept up the confetti, positioning the light's cover back in place. As he walked past the people of SPR he said nothing. Until he reached Mai and Naru.

"Congratulations." He murmured to the two.

Mai looked at the man, his face formed into a devious grin, satisfied that he had pulled off the trick. Mai smiled back at him. "Thanks, Lin. I appreciate it."

**Well well. Now SPR knows. How did you like that chapter? Leave a review if you please and I might get back to you with something humourous!**

**Happy Easter,**

**xXxNaru-LovexXx**

**P.S. That was sooooooo long… XD**


	3. Decisions

**I loved writing last chapter and you guys seemed to enjoy reading it, too! I'll be dating the weeks/months of Mai's pregnancy now. Big shout out to all of my followers and reviewers (and another holler for Naruisawesome), and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Decisions

_Weeks: 9.5 - Months: 1 and a half_

_**(8:52 PM)**_

_It's been about a half a week since I told SPR the news. Everyone seems to be taking it very well, actually. The only people that don't know are…_

_Naru's parents…_

Mai had to suppress a giggle when she saw Naru pick up the house phone, dialing his mother's number. She remembered the last time he phoned his mother - it was a few days ago.

Unfortunately, Naru didn't have the courage to tell Luella because of the fact that he knew his mother. He knew exactly how she would react.

_I have a good feeling that I'll get the other end of it tonight…_

Naru waited on the phone, the dial tone buzzing in his right ear as he waited for a familiar voice at the other end to answer his call.

"Hello?"

"Hello again, Mother." Naru took a deep breath.

"Oh, hi, Noll! How are things?"

"Great, really. I need to tell you-"

"Ohhh, you should've seen the neighbours' new puppy! He's SO cute! Little Australian Shepherd-"

"Mother, can I just-"

"And his coat is just so shiny, our Mai would love him! Anyway, what were you saying?"

Naru sighed quietly, but enough so Mai could hear. "It's _about_ Mai, actually."

"Really? Well, don't keep me waiting! Why didn't you tell me as soon as I answered?"

Naru looked exasperatedly at Mai. He mouthed _when does she stop talking? _to his wife. She bent, doubled over in silent laughter.

"…Well, let's just say…" Naru couldn't keep the smile from breaking his stoic facial expression. "You're going to be…" He looked over at Mai, seemingly scared about the reaction he was going to get.

"…Grandparents-"

The moment the word was said, a loud sound, followed by several other noises, almost like footsteps, came from the phone receiver. Naru held it at arms' length, a look of pure fear on his even paler-than-normal face. The thing looked too small to contain such a sound. A scream came from the phone, obviously Luella.

"MARTIN! DID YOU HEAR THAT?! WE'RE HAVING A GRANDCHILD! NOLL AND MAI AR-"

The phone line went dead. Mai burst into tearful laughter as Naru put the phone back on the receiver, feeling relieved that the hell was over. The room was finally silent.

"That was great! I wish I got that on camera!" Mai choked.

Naru couldn't keep the frown on his face for too long, however.

Mai's laughter was contagious.

The two laughed for the entire night. Both were in stitches after the conversation with Naru's parents.

After a while, a knock sounded at the door. Mai stood slowly, but shrank back down into the couch, a hand on her lower back. She grimaced in pain.

Naru put a hand on her shoulder, telling her to stay put. He went up to the door, a hand on the knob, and swung it open.

Lin stood there, laptop in hand. He bowed in greeting to Naru and Mai before coming inside and sitting down on the sofa.

He invited Naru over for a moment, whispering something in the younger man's ear. From where Mai was sitting, it sounded something along the lines of '…Ready to tell her?'

Mai frowned slightly, her sonar ears picking up what they were saying. "Tell me what?"

Naru's head snapped to the side so her could see Mai in his peripheral vision. For a moment, his gaze lingered to the floor. Seconds later he stood, and walked slowly to his wife.

"…What…what is it?" Mai noticed that the man in front of her was wearing a pained expression over his face.

"Well...I got a case offer about two days ago." Naru didn't meet her gaze.

"And why didn't you tell me?" Mai protested quietly, standing, taking a step forward.

Naru finally looked down into her face, then down at her stomach. "Because I don't want you going."

"Why?!" Mai's voice rose slightly. "I mean, yeah, I was sick last time, but-"

Naru's eyes hardened. "And any idea _why_ you were sick?"

Mai's mouth opened, but she closed it quickly when her thoughts bloomed. "Ohh…yeah. This," She pointed at her abdomen. "takes a while to get used to."

Mai looked down at the floor, and her shoulders slumped down in defeat. Lin chuckled a little and stopped typing at his laptop. He looked up at Naru. "You know, maybe she should come with us. After all, every case we've been on, Mai has proven to be a lot of help."

Naru frowned and bit his lip. He turned to face his wife again, wrapping his hands around hers. She looked up at him with sad and expectant eyes.

"…Alright. But you _must_ stay near me or Lin at all times. I don't want you alone, and I don't want you harmed."

Mai's face brightened. "Yay! Thank you!" She crushed the space between herself and Naru and pulled him into a bear hug.

Mai lay in her bed, her brown hair being pushed back behind her ear by Naru. He wore a smile on his face, but looked saddened and worried.

"Naru, you've been quiet for a while." Mai spoke.

Her husband dipped his inky-blue head in silence. "It's just…I don't know about you coming with me and the others on the case. You're in a very sensitive time for your pregnancy. Do you know what a trimester is?"

"Yes. I actually read about it," Mai pulled out the parenting book she had been reading the previous night. "in this book. What about it?"

"You're at a certain point in the first trimester, where it is critical that you are _well taken care of_. It is the highest risk of miscarriages in this point of time."

Mai stayed silent for a moment, then laughed a little. "You're spewing out information like Google."

He stifled a chuckle, then stroked Mai's cheek. "Goodnight."

"Night, Naru." Mai rolled onto her back and sat in silence as her husband drifted slowly to sleep. Thoughts whirred around in her auburn head, some making no sense compared to the others.

_He's worried about you…_

_I want cheese… Brie sounds nice now…_

_Tell Naru you don't have to go…_

_I want to go…_

_I have to pee…_

_I best stand up and go now…_

_What about the rest of SPR..?_

Mai tried to stop worrying about everything, and sat up in bed, a hand over her face. Vomit rose in her throat, although she obliged to her feeling.

_I have to pee anyway…_

She ran a mile a minute to the bathroom, did what she needed to do (after vomiting, of course) and climbed sleepily back into bed.

One thought still haunted Mai until her mind coaxed her to sleep.

_I should tell Naru that I don't need to go…_

Mai awoke in her dreamscape. The familiar black air was filled with the orbs of spirits, pink, white and blue. She looked around, knowing that Naru's twin, Eugene, was bound to be somewhere.

A man appeared in the distance, a mop of blueish hair upon his head. He smiled upon seeing who he was looking at and hugged her gently upon arrival at their meeting point.

"Hey, Mai." He spoke softly.

"Hey, Gene. Uhh…why am I here? You usually only take me here on cases, but you've seen me twice in about three days." Mai questioned.

"Because I wanted to hear about you and Noll. I can sense his energy sometimes, but right now…it's just worry and distress. Hah, I can't believe he's going to be a father!" He smiled. "Anyway, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that new case that Noll told you about earlier."

"Yeah….I don't know what I'm supposed to do, Gene! I want to go, but Naru's just so…worried about me." A single tear rolled down her pink face. "What do you think I should do?"

"Just tell him you don't have to go." Gene smiled.

"I already thought about that, but…he'll probably not want me to be alone."

"Well, do what you think is best, Mai. I can't stress to you enough that your independence is important. Especially now that you're going to be a mother."

Mai nodded, a smile upon her face. "Alright, Gene. Thanks!"

Mai waved goodbye and sped off into the nothingness, eager to tell Naru that Gene had visited her.

And yet, she also felt sad and worried.

_**(2:51 AM)**_

Mai awoke, her face wet for some reason. She walked slowly to the bathroom and turned on the light, and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Tears had stained her raspberry-coloured face.

She smiled faintly at her swollen, red eyes and trudged back to the bedroom, handkerchief box in hand.

Her sudden movements beside Naru woke the man, who turned over sleepily to face her. "Hnnn… why are you up so early?" He blinked slowly, almost on the verge of toppling sideways into the bed and falling asleep again.

Mai felt heat burn from behind her eyes.

_Don't cry again..!_

She burst into tears, seemingly for no reason. Naru's eyes narrowed as he wrapped his arms around his distressed wife. "Mai, why are you crying?" He whispered.

"I-I don't know what to d-do!" She choked, tears streaming down her face and onto the pillow. "I want to c-come with you, but if I do that p-puts the baby in d-danger, and if I don't you'll be w-worried ab-bout me! I don't even k-know how long you'll be gone!" Mai hiccupped.

"Mai, you don't have to think about what I want done. Just listen to you and _only_ you. Okay?" Naru smiled in the dark, running a pale hand down her head and through her soft hair. "Just try to get some sleep."

"But then..G-Gene will come visit me again…" Mai whispered.

Naru stopped feeling her hair and put his hand down on her waist. "Eugene…is visiting you..? You're not even on a case yet – if you go. How did he come near you again?"

"He wanted to know how we were doing. With the baby. And…he can sense your…distress. " Mai looked up at him, almost shamefully.

Naru nodded faintly. "Alright, Mai. Yes, I am worried about you, but it's right that you should know."

Mai looked up at Naru, a look of understanding and love laying in her eyes. "Okay. And…he said what you did, too. That I should do what I think is best."

"And what would that be?" Naru smiled.

Mai thought for a long moment. She looked up again at Naru, and made her decision.

"I'm coming with you."

**Okay, now the third chapter is done! Hope you all enjoyed and leave a review on how you thought it was!**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	4. Relive

**I loved writing the last chapter! And according to the reviews, you all loved it as much as I did! Special thanks to Naruisawesome.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 4:

_Weeks: 9.6, Months: 2 5/8_

_**(2:54 AM)**_

Mai rolled over on her back, closing her eyes slowly. After crying, it seemed that falling asleep wasn't as easy as it normally was. Especially since she felt like needles were poking through her lower back and spine.

Putting a soft pillow under her legs to elevate them, she tried to sleep and avoid the feeling of pain. Beside her, Naru rolled around beside her uneasily, his dreams disturbing.

_Naru ran down a dark hallway, one that looked like the halls of the Miyama Mansion. Red carpets lined the floor that he ran on, muffling his footsteps from the hardwood that lay below it. Strange writing – bloody writing – decorated the paneled walls that flew past his face, fear gripping at his heart._

Don't be gone yet…

_He ran farther still, reaching a series of doors at the end of the hallway. There were five of them. Two to the left, two at the right and one directly in front of Naru, who stopped to examine them. Starting at the left, he chose the door closest to him._

"_Damn...Locked." He muttered. Turning to the one on the right of the locked door, he twisted the knob._

_The door swung open slowly, revealing a large, empty, metal room._

_All except for the chains and shackles that hung from the ceiling, some with long hairs hanging off of them, blood dripping slowly._

_Naru turned to the right of the hall that he stood in, closing the door briskly. He looked at the third door. There was no doorknob. Naru banged a fist on the wall in anxiety and frustration, and went to the fourth door, the one to his right._

I can't be too long now…

_He placed a shaking, pale hand on the door and it slipped off. Naru glanced at his hand – it was covered in blood._

_Taking a deep breath, he wiped his hand on his trousers and opened the wooden door._

_It swung inwards. Looking into the room was completely pointless; you couldn't see anything._

_Remembering that he had a flashlight, Naru pulled it out of his back pocket and flicked the switch to 'ON' as the light shone through the darkness of the room._

_What lay inside made Naru jump slightly in surprise._

What happened here..?

_Bloodstains rode up the walls and across the cold, stone floor. Naru walked further into the room, making sure that the door was still open so that if anything came out at him, he could turn and run while he could._

_While investigating, Naru found a silver key on the floor. He picked it up and examined it; the shape was the same as the lock of the first door. He ran back out the door, slamming it behind him._

_He dashed across the hallway to the first door and unlocked it, hands fumbling. The door creaked audibly as it opened. Naru's flashlight went back on as the said man stepped cautiously in the room, his shoe remaining dry._

_Taking another step further, his flashlight shone over the wet surfaces of the walls. All of them were decorated with bloodied clothing, ropes and chains._

_Naru let his hand trail over to the left, looking in the circle of light that reflected the bloody surfaces of the room. His eyes widened in relief and suspicion when he saw something written on the back wall from where he entered._

住んでいます.

(I LIVE.)

_Is it that _she_ is still alive, or is it something else..?_

_Naru raced out of the room and sprinted down the hall to the last room. It was the one that he saw first, and, for some reason, didn't go into first._

_Shaking his head to clear it, Naru grabbed a hold of the doorknob. It too was covered in a dark red liquid._

_Naru cringed in disgust at the amount of bloodshed in this place. He twisted the knob and pushed slowly, afraid of what he might find._

_Naru's blood ran cold as he remembered where he was._

_A bloodied staircase and hallway, covered in tile, and a metal door at the end._

_It took every fiber of bravery in Naru's body to climb up the staircase, every once in a while slipping on the blood beneath his feet._

I'm almost there…She can't be gone by now…

_Naru reached the top of the stairs, his flashlight dying slowly. He took a deep, shuddering breath and turned the handle on the door._

_What Naru saw inside the room made his blood run cold._

_The tiled room he found Mai and Miss Hara-san in four years ago._

_And upon the operating table, soaked with blood, lay Mai, her midsection torn open, their child upon her breast, unmoving and still._

_Naru sprinted across the room to see his dying wife. He gently placed a trembling, pale hand over her head, stroking her soft hair for the last time._

_Mai smiled weakly up at him, brown eyes shining._

_A massive shudder took over her body, and she lay still with her child, her eyes no longer shining, but glistened with tears._

"_No…You can't die yet…"_

I have to wake up…

"…_Mai…"_

_Tears fell down Naru's face as he banged on the table she lay on, cradling his dead child and burying his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent for the last time_

_**(6:31 AM)**_

Naru awoke with tears in his eyes. He looked to his left, Mai laying next to him, running her fingers through his bluish hair.

"You had another nightmare." It was a statement, not a question. Mai's body was bathed in the moonlight that filtered through the bedroom window. "Was it bad?"

"No. Not really." Naru lied. She didn't need to know what happened. Naru thought that it might upset her, which wouldn't be good for neither her nor the baby, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Anyway…" Mai's voice rose a little and she retracted her hand from his head. "I'm going to get up. Are you coming with me, Naru?"

"I don't want to sleep anymore, anyway." He sat up with his wife and strolled tiredly out of the room.

And as he walked with her, he smiled and thanked the Gods, if they even existed, for Mai's safety.

The couple ended up having strawberry waffles for breakfast. Naru paid no mind to this; ever since Mai found out she was pregnant, the food she made was great. Aside from the fact that she vomited constantly and complained about pain, however much Naru had disliked it, the perks of becoming a parent were great.

After breakfast, Mai ran to the bathroom.

Again.

Seeing her run once more made Naru laugh quietly. _How many times is that? Five? Maybe six._ She came back minutes later, seeking a glass of water. While drinking, her eyes screwed up as if she were in thought.

"Something you'd like, Mother?" Naru joked.

Mai glared at him for a few moments, her eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth as if to say something, and the words tumbled out.

"I want to watch a movie…" She mumbled.

Naru stayed silent, laughing on the inside. Her behavior has been so odd. But he was just happy that she wasn't the way she was in his dream.

_Upon the operating table, soaked with blood, lay Mai, her midsection torn open, our child upon her breast, unmoving and still._

Naru shuddered. He didn't want to think about the dream anymore. Not when he knew that Mai was perfectly alive and well, and sitting in front of him, holding up the 'Twilight' movie series in her hands.

She's _holding the_ '_Twilight' series_ in her hands.

_Again?!_

Naru remembered the last time SPR had watched 'Twilight' together. Mai had clung on to Naru's arm and cried out things like, "EDWARD! YEAAAH!" and "BELLA, YOU'RE SO STUPID!"

Not that Naru couldn't agree with that more, or deny that he liked her clinging to him so much, but other than that, the movie was inconclusive for Naru. He couldn't even wrap his head around the plotline of the movie. And apparently Monk couldn't, either.

"_Okay. I think I have it now. Some depressed, mouth-breathing chick falls in love with Sparkly here who's about 1,957 years older than her, the dog nextdoor loves her, and they make her a sparkler so the League of Creepers doesn't find out that she had a baby. Is that it?" Monk asked._

_Ayako punched him in the shoulder playfully. "No. They're the Volturi, but close enough!"_

Naru sighed inwardly; he would have to relive the experience again.

Mai popped the movie into the DVD player and sat down on Naru's lap with extreme force. She knocked the breath out of him.

"Mai, you're really heavy!" He grunted, smiling.

She looked up at him, mouth open. "Are-are you calling me _fat?" _She cried.

"No – no, that's not what I meant! It just means that our little Aka-chan is growing, that's all." He quickly answered. Mai felt reassured now, although it was very weird how every single comment someone made to her made her so emotional.

_I don't like this at all…_ She thought wistfully.

"I know what you are." The girl in the movie said. (Naru sighed quietly.)

"Say it. Say it outloud." The man beside her responded.

"Vampire." Mai recited at the same time as the girl.

"Glittering fairy princess…" Naru mumbled.

Mai sat beside him now, her head leaning against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her to know that she was still there, and not in the bloody, tiled room, lying on the table, waiting for death to claim her.

Naru let a sigh of relief at this, but also in frustration that the terrible movie in front of him was still playing.

_This is going to be a long time._

**I liked how the chapter ended XD and I know anyone who has read up to here did too! By the way, I have nothing against Twilight, but… I know that Naru would. 'Cause he thinks that vampires don't exist.**

**Au contraire, how do you know that something is nonexistent because the only proof is that nobody has ever shown to you that it does?**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight – all credit goes to Summit Pictures and Entertainment One.**

**Have a great weekend,**

**-xXxNaru-lovexXx**


	5. Welcome to the Hotel

**Dear lord that last chapter made me die from not being able to laugh – SERIOUSLY THOUGH – for the Twilight fans out there, I have nothing against the movie franchise. I'm a fan myself.**

**Great. I just lost some friends, didn't I? Oh – because I don't love it – I just admire Stephanie's writing style.**

…**And Sparklepants. **

**Anyway, some crap is gonna hit the fan now, so… Enjoy!**

**P.S. Yasu is now going to be called Osamu, unless someone is speaking directly to him. They'll call him Yasu, I'll call him Osamu, his first name.**

Chapter 5: Welcome to the Hotel

_**(10:35 AM)**_

Naru ran to the bedroom after the first movie was done, clutched a pillow over his face and screamed in anguish.

_The first installment of HELL is finally over…_

Mai raced into the room, a wide smile looming upon her face. She held up a movie case – Twilight: New Moon.

"Ready for round two, Naru?" She whispered.

He let terror flash across his face at the thought before a sound could be heard from his pocket. Naru pulled out his cell phone, flipped it open and answered.

"Hello?" (Minute-long silence.) "Yes. Thank you, Lin. We'll be there. Alright. Goodbye."

"What was that about?" Mai asked.

"The case. We have to be at the hotel in about an hour or two."

"Which hotel?" Mai questioned, eyes wide in curiosity.

"I honestly have no idea, Mai. I know where it is, but not what it's called. I do know, however, that everyone will be in bed by around 10:30..." He leaned in close to Mai, his ravishing voice deep as a cat's purr. He locked lips with Mai for a moment, who melted in his arms at the gesture. Naru packed both of their things for the case and hotel, and left to the office.

_**(11:01 AM)**_

The pair arrived at the office to meet Lin and the irregulars. Everyone was there – Ayako, Monk, Masako, Osamu (Yasu), and John, all of which who smiled and waved at them.

"Hey guys!" Mai sang. "How are we all today?"

"Fine, Mai. How are _you_, though? I trust you've been keeping well lately?" Lin inquired.

"Yeah. Me and Naru watched-"

"_Don't_ – say it." Naru interrupted.

Mai stayed quiet for a moment, red-faced and on the verge of laughter. She made an odd 'pfffffffffttt' sound, and let out her load.

"Twilight!"

SPR laughed at the sudden outburst. Monk howled and fell out of his chair accidentally, Ayako sitting on him. Masako covered her mouth with her kimono and giggled, John beside her, laughing quietly. Osamu chuckled loudly. Lin remained quiet, but smiled humourously over at Naru, who put a hand over his face, the other on Mai's shoulder.

He cleared his throat and sat down on his chair, Mai balancing herself on the arm. "Now that we've had our 'happy time', we should leave for the hotel. But first, an explanation of the case is needed." Naru pulled out his old black book from a compartment under the table. The dusty book hadn't been used in a while – there'd only been one or two cases since Mai and Naru had married. But now, since Naru had been called in for SPR _again_, the business had restarted, and the irregulars just couldn't say no.

Naru cracked open the crispy thing, layers of dust and film covering the pages. He tried to blow some of it off, but to no avail. The dust was gone, but the rest of the miscellaneous, attached things were still sticking to it. Some sort of brownish yellow dirt sticking inside the hinges of it.

Monk leaned over, scratching some of it off with his finger. "Umm, Naru, I think you're going to need to clean that!" He laughed, rubbing his finger against his pants to get the crud off.

"I'll go clean that for you, Naru." Mai took the pages out of the book, scattering some of them so Naru could find the one he was looking for. She left to the kitchenette, scrubbing the leather-covered book under cold water with steel wool.

Naru churned through the pages, finding one he needed. He picked it up, placing a pale finger on a large paragraph, Clearing his throat, Naru began.

"There's a church in Matsuyama, Shikoku that has stalled services for a while now. People claimed that black orbs could be seen near the altar, and figures gliding by the windows. The minister has requested that we drive spirits out of there, if there even are any."

Mai returned with the book, dry and clean, looking pristine. Naru took it gently from her hand, letting her sit in the chair beside him. He clipped the papers back into the book, placed it under the table and continued.

"Anyway, it doesn't seem to be very much of a terribly challenging case. Would you all still wish to come?"

SPR all nodded in agreement.

"Of course we will." Ayako spoke.

"All right. It's settled. We leave for the hotel in five minutes. Gather your things and meet outside."

_**(12:47 PM)**_

SPR met outside and followed Lin's van to the hotel. Upon arrival, two men, appearing to be chauffeurs, bowed and took everyone's bags inside to their rooms. The team checked into the hotel, some looking around in wonder (Ayako, Monk, Osamu, John and Mai.) while others stared at the elegant ceiling.

There appeared to be murals and symbols up on the ceiling. Some saying quotes like, "あなたは虎の洞窟を入力しない場合は," or "そのカブをキャッチしません." Naru looked up, mesmerized by the wise words emblazoned for all to see.

_**(12:44 PM)**_

The doors to all of the hotel rooms swung open in unison – this was Mai's idea, of course. Inside, paintings of cherry blossoms and seashores dominated the walls, while gray velvet cushions lay on the pagoda-style floor. Stones lay inside a small glass cubicle-like object in the northwest corner of the room.

Mai flopped onto the bed, admiring the silky blanket-and-duvet combination. Naru sat beside her, smiling as if pleased to see his wife so happy. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her slowly, biting her lip ever so gently. She did the same in response, and let go.

"I guess we're both pleased today. That was the best kiss – beside from our wedding – yet." Mai joked.

"Yes, I guess it was." Naru stood, depositing his bags over by the door. He left for the bathroom with a pair of shorts, for some reason, and came back in the main room, still wearing his suit. He winked at Mai, raising his eyebrows. "I'll meet you at the pool, Mrs. Davis."

"Oh - okay!" Mai blushed, a hand to her mouth. She ran as fast as she could, without disturbing the baby too much, rummaging through her bags to get a bathingsuit.

And yet the only thing Naru packed was a bikini.

Why now, when she was pregnant?

Oh well.

Mai rushed to the bathroom, changed into the only option, and put her clothes back on again. She ran down to the hotel's pool area and into the changing room.

She noticed that there was black clothing – that reminded Mai of Naru - hanging on a bathroom stall door. Someone's feet moved around inside the stall, but Mai paid no mind. She got into the one next to it and changed into her bikini. While in the midst of doing so, the person in the other stall left for the pool.

Mai sighed in relief that no one else was in there and checked her reflection in the mirror of the room. She noticed a small bump protruding from her midsection. Mai placed two gentle hands on the area and felt for something, anything, but nothing. She exited the changing room to go outside to the pool.

Mai sat down on a reclining lawn chair propped out by the pool and soaked in the sun, closing her eyes behind her sunglasses.

But the light faded from the outside of Mai's eyelids, and yet there were no clouds in the sky.

_What happened to the sun..?_

Mai opened her eyes. Some group of women were standing and blocking the sun, looking over at the pool, where someone was surfacing from the water.

A man surfacing from the water.

Someone with inky-blue hair and black shorts, dripping wet.

Someone who stared directly at Mai, the sexiest smirk she had ever seen upon his face.

Naru got out of the pool, almost in slow-motion, and walked up to Mai. She tilted her sunglasses up from her face, staring into his indigo eyes.

"Like what you see, Mai?" he purred quietly, six centimeters from her face. He took her hand gently, his rippled chest reflecting the sun from the water. Mai blushed pure red, and jumped into the pool quickly with her lover.

**That was so great that I cannot explain it in words. Other than (here comes my Naru imitation), "Like what you read?"**

**First, let's talk about the quotes.**

_**1: If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you will not catch its cub. (Nothing risked, nothing gained.)**_

_**2: Wake from death and return to life. (To come out of a desperate situation and make a complete return in one sudden burst.)**_

**Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed that chapter – I fangirled just writing it – and I wish you all a good weekend!**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


	6. Falling in Love

**X3 Last chapter was GREAT! SOOOOO glad all of my followers loved it – a lot of them fangirled reading it too! I'm not the only oneeeee...!**

**In this chapter, SPR will be on location at the haunted place.**

**Anyway, enjoy yourself!**

**P.S. No lemons. It gets close to it SEVERAL times, but I wouldn't write a fruit-filled chapter without telling anyone.**

**P.P.S. The stones are actually supposed to be in the northeast corner of the hotel room. I corrected it.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Falling in Love

_Weeks: STILL 9.6 Months: STILL 2 5/6... __**(ugh)**_

Water rushed up Mai's nose as she exhaled when she hit the water. Her legs waded gracefully through the chlorinated water as she resurfaced, Naru beside her, his hand still intertwined against hers. He, staring into her chestnut-coloured eyes, smiled deviously at her and whispered, his face up to her ear.

"Was that enjoyable enough for you?"

Mai simply blushed, looking over at the girls who disturbed her tanning, eyeing Naru before they jumped in together. They gawked back at the two, astonished. The tallest one, a girl with long, blonde hair and a blue bikini scoffed and wheeled around, dragging her friends behind her, leaving the pool in frustration. Mai veered around to face Naru again, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Quite so." She kissed both of his cheeks. Mai pulled on his hand toward the ladder of the pool and started wading to the area. She felt very tired now; even if she was only in the pool for three minutes.

The two climbed the ladder out of the pool, and Naru grabbed a towel for his wife. She accepted the item and wrapped herself in it. Before he could walk away to get one of his own, Mai reached out her hand to grope for his, turning him around to face her.

"…Why a bikini, Naru? I'm _pregnant._"

"I wanted to see how well you could look in it." He smirked, wheeling around again and disappearing behind the change room door.

Once again, Mai blushed and remembered that Naru had those times where he could be infuriating – and yet absolutely irresistible.

She sat down on the same chair she did earlier, finally getting that sun she wanted without other girls staring down her husband.

Mai smiled slightly and closed her eyes slowly, her hands upon her stomach. She heard the sounds of the hotel pool around her – children laughing and splashing, girls giggling and footsteps racing around on the concrete in the afternoon sun. She felt so tired; in the past few weeks, all of her energy had been drained. The only reason why she had been able to swim with Naru minutes ago was because she felt adrenaline.

But that was a different kind of adrenaline that Mai hadn't experienced much before.

Until after she married Naru, that is.

_Speak of the devil…_

Naru walked out of the change room, a towel upon his head, eyes closed as he dried his hair vigorously with the white mass. He strolled slowly over to the chair beside Mai and sat down. He lay down near her on an opposite chair, legs crossed.

Mai dared look over for a moment and felt her blood run hot. Every time she saw her husband's bare chest, it still gave her that exciting feeling that she got, four years ago. His pale torso gleamed, slightly wet, in the afternoon sun. Mai let her eyes drift away from the scene and she sat up on the chair once more.

Naru leaned in to whisper to Mai. "Did you enjoy yourself?" He purred deeply in her ear.

"Oh yeah." She responded quietly. "What do you say, we go back to our room now? Have a little fun…" Her voice trailed away seductively as she bit her lip, finger tracing her cheekbones.

Naru cocked a brow innocently. "Why, I have no idea what you mean, Mrs. Davis… Could you please demonstrate to me what you mean when we get there..?" He laughed quietly.

"It would be my pleasure…"

Naru ran his arms gingerly below Mai's knees and back, cradling her near his chest as he walked into the hotel. He walked softly and slowly, making sure that he didn't give his wife or baby a jolt of surprise.

Upon entering the hotel room, Naru lay Mai gently down on the hotel bed, sitting down next to her, cupping the right side of her face in his hand.

The room was quiet, carpets lay still on the floor, the northeast stones standing tall, unmoving. The white curtains swayed in the gentle breeze of summer.

Naru leaned over Mai, just about to kiss her, when someone loudly walked into the room.

And, judging by how loud this person was, he could only be described as Monk.

"Hey guys, we're-"

The man saw what was happening as Naru flipped over onto the other side of the bed beside Mai, looking extremely annoyed with Takigawa-san.

"OH – I walked in at the wrong time, didn't I?" The elder man laughed, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"No, it's alright. What did you have to say?" Mai spoke softly.

"We're leaving in about fifteen minutes to go to the base." Monk exclaimed. "Just thought you ought to know…" He slapped himself gingerly in the face and walked out of the room.

After the door shut, Naru sat up at the edge of the bed. Mai came over and sat beside him, legs overtop of his.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Mai asked quietly.

"No, it's alright, you just stay here." Naru spoke.

"But… what am I going to do without you here? I'll get lonely…" She scooted closer to him, her arms around his shoulders.

"You're not coming. What if anything happened to you? I couldn't live with myself!" Naru got to his feet as Mai's arms faltered from his shoulders.

Mai followed suit and stood beside him. "What if something happened here? You wouldn't even know about it! If I were _with_ you, you could keep an eye on me."

"But what about our child? Answer me that." Naru retorted.

Mai stayed silent for a moment, eyes closed, thinking hard. She opened them after a minute or so, brown eyes filled with determination. "That's a risk I'm willing to take. If we die, we die by your side." She stated finally.

Naru let his head drop down silently, sighing outwardly. "Fine. You can come. But if something happens to you…" He crossed the room and opened the door, letting Mai out of the hotel room first. "…it's not my fault."

She chirped happily, ignoring the fact that Naru was being slightly rude. As long as Mai didn't have to suffer alone, she was content.

They strolled out of the hotel just in time; Lin's van had already pulled up to the front of the hotel, and he was waiting for Naru and Mai so they could leave for the church. The two jumped (well, Mai hobbled more than jumped) into the van, clicked their seatbelts and drove off to the new base. They followed Ayako's white car to the location.

* * *

It was just another regular car ride; Lin drove, Mai and Naru sitting passenger. The only difference was that Mai sat in the middle at the back, Naru at her left side – almost as if the man feared that this would be their last car ride together.

It was quite amusing to watch, to be honest. At least, that's what Lin thought.

The man glanced in the mirror every once in a while, noticing that Naru had curled Mai's hands in his on his lap, sometimes nudging Mai over so that she could lay her head on his chest while they sat. When this happened, Naru would take away one of his hands from Mai's and rest it on her stomach.

Mai actually fell asleep at about 1/4 of the way there, her head resting in the crook of his neck. Her left hand was in his right, and Naru's left was resting on the place where their child was growing.

Lin had to force back a sigh of relief and anguish at two things – he was relieved that Naru finally found someone to make him happy every day, but also felt angst because he missed Madoka. He hadn't seen her in a long time – the last time the two had met in person was during the Bloodstained Labyrinth case. The only way they kept in contact was by IMing, and that wasn't even enough.

Mai stirred slightly in her sleep at about halfway through the car ride. She opened her eyes very slowly, blinking away the sleep. She felt a warm feeling at her womb, and looked down. She saw a hand, belonging to the sleeping man beside her, and, smiling warmly at the notion, she placed her own hand overtop of his. _At least he seems happy that I've come with him…_

* * *

The two woke up at the same time as the van pulled into the church's parking lot. There was a low brick fence outside that marked the beginning of the lot. They drove through the area and entered the small lot, parking in one of the slots on the right. From what Mai could see, the church looked small. There was a giant blue cross made from metal. The three exited the car to find Ayako's white one already on the other side of the parking lot. It seemed evident that the others were already inside.

They opened the glass doors to find a white hallway with a crimson red carpet, a cross with a depiction of Jesus' crucifixion at the end of the hall, behind the altar.

Monk and Ayako peered around from a doorway in the middle of the hall, eyeing the three who just walked in. They smiled and waved as Osamu ran in from behind, running down the pews to reach Mai.

The girl stared in terror as she waited for the inevitable – Osamu would break out into a full run and crash into her when he got close enough.

But, it seemed that her imagination was differed from reality when the 19-year-old stopped dead in his tracks when Naru held an outstretched hand in front of him, glaring at Osamu, eyes full of annoyance. The man had managed to find a position in front of Mai while she wasn't looking. Or at least not paying attention.

Osamu frowned slightly and stalked off, Mai laughing silently, so hard that it was difficult to breathe.

"Y-Yasu, don't forget – that you can't run at me anymore." Mai choked between bursts of giggling.

Naru cleared his throat, placing his hand back down at his side. "Everyone, I believe we should start setting up base. We will use the conference room, near the back of the church."

"Where's the door for it, though?" Ayako questioned from her place at the back.

"You're standing in the doorway now, Miss Matsuzaki-san." Naru stated bluntly. He walked down to pews to meet her. "Everyone, follow her and Takigawa-san to the conference room while Lin and I get the equipment."

Mai stayed where she was, watching as Naru and Lin left the church to get the shelves, monitors and cameras. "Naru, do you want me to come help? With the shelves or something?"

"No, that's alright. You're already doing a lot for me at the moment." Naru looked back at her and smiled before he left, the glass door closing quietly behind him.

* * *

The two came back minutes later, carrying almost every bit of equipment that was needed at the base. Lin turned back to get everything else after dropping his load off at the conference room.

Naru lingered around the main hall for a moment, looking around the altar, his indigo eyes scanning the area briskly.

Mai left for the conference room quietly, letting Naru have some alone time in the hall. She met with the irregulars, who were working away at connecting cables to various outlets that seemed to belong to the monitors.

"Need some help, guys?" Mai asked cheerfully.

"Yeah – could you reach behind here and connect this cord to the outlet behind the table?" Monk held up a power cable for one of the monitors.

"Sure thing." She took hold of the black cord and bent down, with struggle, connecting the cord to the small outlet that lay where Monk had pointed. The monitor turned on, showing a blank, blue screen. There was obviously no camera hooked up to it.

* * *

Mai felt bored, so she decided to take a tour of the church. She told everyone that she was going for a walk around, and left the room.

Mai walked all around the church – through the conference room, the communion hall, and ended up in the basement, for some reason. Mai found a ramp down to a dark room, which she automatically assumed was the basement because of its general creepiness. She closed her eyes and rested against the railing, feeling that the walking she had just done hadn't done her any good.

But suddenly, a strange sound struck a chord in her ears.

It sounded like a piano.

Mai turned her attention to where the sound was coming from – it seemed to reverberate from the walls themselves. She walked up the ramp – and thank God it _was_ a ramp – and pinpointed where it was coming from.

The main hall.

* * *

Mai walked through the church, retracing her steps to find where she had come from. She reached the conference room again, the irregulars still there, hooking up cables even still. She walked through the room and entered the main hall, where the piano was playing.

She walked into the room and saw something she had never known before.

Naru played piano.

His fingers were moving elegantly over the white and black keys, inky blue hair covering Naru's eyes so that Mai couldn't see his expression.

Although, from what Mai could see, he was tranquil.

Mai listened now to the song, walking closer to the piano and sitting beside Naru on the bench. The song sounded happy, but sad at the same time. It was a song about love, most likely, but didn't have any indications as to what it was really about.

It made Mai think about when she first met Naru. She knew that he was one of – if not _the_ – most self-centered, egotistic, swollen-headed, holier-than-thou narcissist in the world, and yet she felt so calm and safe around him. Like she wanted to be near him. Her emotions swirled around in her heart and mind as she listened further into the song, and remembered all of the times that Naru had tried in vain to keep her safe.

It warmed her heart.

When Naru had played the final note on the piano and closed the slab that covered the keys, he looked up at the nameplate on the instrument.

"I didn't know this place had a piano…" Naru said calmly.

"I didn't know you even _played_ the piano, Naru." Mai laughed. "What's that song called?"

"Falling in Love. By Yiruma." He looked at Mai, kindness reflecting in his deep blue eyes. "I played it because it reminded me of you."

Naru leaned over and kissed Mai gingerly on the lips before standing and escorting her out of the room, now no longer hosting the beautiful sound of piano.

"So... I'm doing a lot for you?" Mai asked. "What do you mean?"

"You're giving me what I always wanted." Naru responded quietly.

"Love and family."

**Well, that's a wrap! I loved writing this chapter so much! The song, as Naru said, is actually called "Falling in Love" and the artist is Yiruma. He writes beautiful piano songs, and I suggest you look them up. Falling in Love is my favourite by far. So, have a great Victoria Day (night) and I will see you all in Chapter 7!**

**-xXxNaru-LovexXx**


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